Wall guide



Dec. 19, 1950 Filed April 22, 1948 E. D. ARNOLD WALL GUIDE 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Elvin D. Arnold ATTORN EYS.

Dec, 39,, 31950 E. D. ARNOLD 2,534,940

WALL GUIDE Filed April 22, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

win D; AvmEd ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to straight edge type wall guides and more particularly to such guides which may be employed in laying brick and the like.

Not only does the novel guide aid the worker in laying the brick level and the wall plumb but it also aids in shaping uniform thicknesses of mortar between courses, so that all joints will be of the same thickness, and it also aids in recessing these joints a uniform depth from the outer edges of the brick.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a guide which does not interfere in any way with the usual metal tying or heading.

Still another object is to provide a guide as described, which is compact, readily handled and may be manufactured at a reasonable cost since it comprises but few parts with none of the parts complicated.

Another object is to provide a guide as detailed which includes no parts requiring adjustment and contains no springs, clamps, pivoted parts or the like, apt to get out of order, or wear, or break.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this disclosure, and in which drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan of the new guide shown asso. ciated with a brick wall.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, also associated with a brick wall.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the guide.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are transverse sections of the new guide substantially upon their respective lines of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts thruout the several views, the letter A designates the new guide, B designates a wall of brick C and mortar D, and E designates a conventional line.

The guide A comprises a body portion l0, three guide arms ll, l2 and I3 extending therefrom, and two spirit levels I4 and IS.

The body portion l0 may be of any preferred material, such as metal, hardened plastics, rubher, wood or combinations thereof, and comprises a forward elongated support section 20, an elongated stepped, level-carrying section 2| extending longitudinally of the section 20, a short, stepped, level-carrying section 22 extending transversely of the section 20, an elongated stepped, horizon tal, recess-forming section 23, and a slotted section 24 at one end of the section 20.

The section 2|] has a forward side edge 25 and end edges 26 and 21 with the edges 26 and 21 substantially parallel and the greater part of the edge 25 forming a right angle with the edge 26, but the edge 25 may curve toward the edge 21,

as at 28, and then extend as at 29, parallel with the horizontal plane of the edge 25 to meet the edge 21. Preferably adjacent the curve the section 23 may be provided with an opening 30 so that the guide A may be hung from a suppor when not in use. 7 From the normally upper face 3| of the section 20 and spaced from the edge 25, is the stepped section 2| of the body portion II]. This section 2| houses the spirit level I4 which extends longitudinally of the section 2| and may be disposed in a suitable recess, such as the recess 32 which opens to the normally upper face 33 of the section 2|. Closely adjacent the juncture of the sections 2| and 23 is a longitudinally-extending, line-receiving groove 34, also opening to the face 33.

Forming substantially a right angle with the section 2| is the level-carrying section 22, which is provided with a level-receiving recess 35 opening into its upper face 36, and adapted to contain the spirit level I5, extending transversely of the section 20 and is disposed preferably adjacent the end edge 26 of the latter.

The elongated, stepped, recess-forming or ribcarrying section 23 joins the sections 2| and 22 and has a rear wall face or surface 31 which is, in the main, normal to the plane of the face 3| of the section 20 but, substantially paralleling the edge section 29 of the forward side edge 25, the rear wall face or surface 31 forms an acute angle with the horizontal plane of the rest of the face 31, as at 38. This face portion 38 is shown particularly in Fig. 5, and its function will be subsequently described. Extending from the face 31, and free of the face portion 38, is a longitudinally-extending rib 39 which is provided to form the horizontal recess at brick joints. In the example shown this rib 39 has a brick-engaging, upper face 40, motor-engaging outer or rear face 4| and brick-engaging, lower face 42, with the faces 4| and 42 shown as substantially parallel and the face 4| normal thereto. The face 40 mergesinto the upper face of the section 23. The length of the rib 39 is that of a conventional brick, such as B, and the straight vertical dis-' tance from the face 40 to the face 42 is the thickness of the mortar between bricks, The width of 3 the rib, as well as the distance mentioned may, of course, be pre-determined and a guide A, with a rib to suit such measurements, be selected.

The slotted section 24 of the body portion I!) is disposed at the right-hand end of the guide A, as in Fig. 1. It may join the ends of the stepped sections 21 and 23 and extend upwardly from the section and is provided with an upwardlyopening, line-receiving slot 43 the base of which merges into one endof the longitudinally-extending groove 34.

Referring now to the guide arm II, this extends downwardly from the body portion ID at the slotted-section end thereof and has a brickengaging rear face 45 with its horizontal plane coincident with the horizontal plane of the main part of the rear face 31 of the section .23. Its front face 46 is provided with a downwardly and rearwardly slanting slot 41 to contain, if desired, the free end portion of a line which may be employed to governthe lateral position of a course.

Theguide arm I2 is disposed at the left-hand end of the support portion l0 and extends upwardly. It has a vertical rib 50 extending along its rear face, constructed and arranged to form the vertical recess at brick joints and this rib, of course, joins the left-hand end of the horizontal rib 39, forming substantially a right angle therewith. The rib 50 has a rear or mortar contacting face 5|, and parallel, brick-engaging faces 52 and 53. The guide arm 12 also carries a rib 54 extending from its outer end face and this rib'51l has a rear face 56 to engage the outer face of a'laid brick adjacent its right-hand end. There is a downwardly and rearwardly-extending line-receiving slot 51 in the arm l2 with its bottom extending to the groove 35.

.Below the arm [2 is the guide arm l3 which extends downwardly from the support portion Ifl and has a rear face 60 with its plane coincident with the plane of the face and adapted to engage the faceof a brick in the course below the brick in the course engaged by the face 55. The faces 45 and 6B are, preferably, in the same planes.

The spirit levels i4 and I5 are preferably of conventional construction and embedded in the portions 2| and 22 respectively in any approved way with their bubbles showing from the mouths of the recesses.

In use, after the two lowermost courses and the left-hand corner brick C of the wall B are laid, for example, by conventional line methods, the upper surfaces of the bricks of the upper course are swiped free of mortar D and the guide A, grasped preferably by the forward part of the support portion ID, is set in place with the faces 45 and abutting the front faces of two adjacent bricks C in the upper course and the rear face 55 of the rib 54 engages the front face of the corner brick and the face 52 of the rib 53 engages the right-hand end face of this brick. At this time, the lower face 42 of the rib 39 engages the front part of the faces of the two adjacent bricks of the course below the corner brick and to the right of that corner brick. When the guide A is so set mortar D is placed over the upper exposed faces of the bricks upon which the rib 39 rests and upon the end face of the corner brick. The thickness of the mortar is guided by the size of the ribs. Tliereupon, another brick is placed in form contact with the mortar and in line with the brick C of the lower course (which may be seen, as is apparent from Fig. 5 by glancing along the slanting face 38),

4 and set with the trowel until both levels l4 and 15 indicate a true position for the brick being set.

When the guide is then removed, the set brick will be set true and the recessed joint will be exactly like the joints of all brick subsequently set by use of the novel guide A.

Of course, the usual line E may be employed, if desired, but it is necessary only for the two lowermost-courses of the wall.

It will be noted that the stepped section 23 not only carries the rib 39 to form the recess at the brick joint but it also provides a wall to shield the levels I4 and 15 against breakage and being accidentally obscured by mortar.

Various changes may be made to the form of the invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wall guide, a body portion including an elongated support section having a forward edge and'upper face, a second section supported thereby and having an upper face and an elongated rib-carrying section rearwardly of said forward edge and having an upper face, spaced above the horizontal plane of :said first-named face, a rear face with a first portion of said rear face substantially normal to said upper face of said rib-carrying section and a second portion of said rear face inclined to the vertical plane of said first portion and extending longitudinally of said elongated rib-carrying section from one end of said first portion, and an elongated ribextending horizontally from said first portion to.and ending at said one end and free of said inclined portion, the length of said rib being substantially the lengthof a conventional brick.

2. In a wall guide, a body portion including an elongated support section having a forward side edge and upper face, a second section spaced from said forward edge, extending upwardly from said face and having an upper face, and an elongated, rib-carrying section rearwardlyof said second section and having an upper face with its horizontal plane spaced above the upper face, of said second section, a rear face with a first portion thereof substantially normalto said upper face of said recess-forming section and a second portion thereof inclined to the vertical plane of the first portionof said rearfaceand extending from an endof .saidfirst portion, and an elongated rib extending horizontally from said, first portion only of said rear face, .the length of said rib being substantially the length of a conventional brick.

3. In a wall guide, a body .portion including an elongated forwardly-extending horizontal support section having a forward side edge, end edges and upper face, a second section rear.- wardly of said forward edge, extending upwardly fromsaid face and having an upper surface, and an elongated, rib-carrying section rearwardly of said second section and having atop surface with its plane above .said upper face and upper surface, arear face, with a first portion thereof substantially normal to said top surface and an other portion thereof inclined to the vertical plane of the first portion and extending longitudinally of said elongated section at 'an'end'of said first portion, and an elongated rib extending horizontally from said first portion, the lengthof said rib being substantially the length of a conventional brick; an arm extending upwardly from said support section at one end edge thereof and having a rear surface in substantially the same plane as said first portion, said arm being provided with a vertically-extending rib, projecting from said rear surface and extending normal to the longitudinal plane of said first rib; and a second arm extending downwardly from said support section and having a rear face in substantially the same plane as said rear face of said elongated section.

4. In a wall guide, a body portion including an elongated support section having a forward side edge, end edges and upper face, a second section rearwardly of said forward edge, extending upwardly from said face and having an upper surface, and an elongated, recess-forming sec- 15 tion rearwardly of said second section and having a substantially horizontal top surface with its plane above said upper face and surface, a rear face, with a first portion thereof substantially normal to said surface and another portion thereof inclined to the vertical plan of the first portion, and an elongated rib extending horizontally from said first portion, the length of said rib being substantially the length of a conventional brick, said rib having an upper horizontal face merging into said top surface; an arm extending upwardly from said support section at one end edge thereof and having a rear surface in substantially the same plane as 6 said first portion, said arm being provided with a vertically-extending rib, projecting from said rear surface and extending normal to the longitudinal plane of said first rib; a second arm extending downwardly from said support section and having a rear face in substantially the same plane as said rear surface.

ELVIN D. ARNOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 695,145 Cook Mar. 11, 1902 715,946 Bennett Dec. 16, 1902 915,982 Maddux Mar. 23, 1909 991,446 Johnson May 2, 1911 1,210,339 Maddox Dec. 26, 1916 1,742,103 Sholtes Dec. 31, 1929 2,133,605 Wikstrom Oct. 18, 1938 2,438,613 Malthouse Mar. 30, 1948 2,466,919 Sykes Apr. 12, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 522,599 Germany Apr. 14, 1931 

